Yesterday the red
carpet was laid out in Wellington. But tonight, here at
the Viaduct Events Centre, we have our own extravaganza of
excellence – a room filled with superstars, with
champions; with heroes and trail-blazers.

I want to
firstly acknowledge all those possible for making our Sunday
mornings magical. Attitude Pictures consistently represents
the experiences of people with disabilities in a way which
engages the public; educating, inspiring and challenging us
all in the space of thirty minutes.

It is an
outstanding initiative and I want to congratulate you for
the difference you are making in the great sea of public
opinion.

This event builds on your precedent, in
creating a Gala Awards Night to celebrate achievement and
recognise the diversity of people who are working towards a
more inclusive society.

I absolutely endorse the
intention of these awards, to raise awareness, and to create
a new norm by putting focus on the achievements and triumphs
of the one in five New Zealanders who live with a
disability.

Tonight I have been given the honour of
announcing the inaugural Attitudes Awards Trust
Communications Scholarship.

This is an exciting
example of collaboration, in which a major media company is
offering a one year work contract; with a view to increasing
the numbers of people with disabilities active in the
communications professions including the media.

We all
know that an increase in disabled people who are visible in
the media will help promote an attitude change amongst the
wider community.

This will have huge spinoffs
regarding the employment of disabled people; as well have
challenging any negative attitudes and behaviours that may
still be lingering.

I am totally committed towards
doing what I can as Minister, to enable people with
disabilities to lead fuller, more independent lives.

And in this respect, I am so proud to acknowledge the
scholarship sponsor, the Attitude Awards Trust and its
trustees, and to speak briefly about the very first person
to win this scholarship.

Olivia Shivas has always
wanted to be a reporter; based on her belief that people
with disabilities are not represented well in the mainstream
media.

Olivia’s pathway to this night has been
built upon hundreds of big moments and thousands of small
ones. She has demonstrated leadership and success in her
schooling; she is a Queens Award recipient; a StarJam
Jambassador and now a student of the Bachelor of
Communication studies at AUT.

But there is one story
in particular, that really made her shine.

Earlier
this year, in her role in the Velvet Vocals – a workshop
run by StarJam – she came up with a big idea. All the
girls in the Velvet Vocals listen to Taylor Swift and sing
her songs. So when Olivia found out the superstar herself
was coming to town, she got cracking.

She filmed a
video of the group; edited it, and sent it off to Taylor
Swift’s managers. After many weeks they received a reply
– Miss Swift would like to meet the Velvet Vocals in
person.

Olivia’s words told me everything about
having the right attitude. She said

“Having a
disability, I sometimes become so used to being the one that
needs help. Whether it’s reaching something on a high
shelf or getting help to push myself up a steel hill. And
sometimes I do get embarrassed by it. What I got most out
of a being a leader that was that I was the one helping
someone else. Someone needed my help and expertise. It
was incredibly rewarding knowing that my help and leadership
achieved our goal of meeting Taylor Swift”.

It was
such a wonderful glimpse into the life of a young woman –
not yet twenty- and yet capable of gaining an audience with
a celebrity; fulfilling a project goal to the last degree;
and inspiring, motivating and including the wider group at
every stage of the experience.

I know that Olivia will
go on to make a profound difference in all our lives. She
oozes oomph; she exudes passion and determination and I wish
her a most brilliant career.

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